Although some manufacturers are moving away from pneumatics in their machine designs, the industry can continue to grow if done smartly. That is, seamless integration of automation and pneumatics will rely heavily on the continued adoption of smart technologies, data collection and use, and more compact, efficient machines. This, said Donna Ritson of DDR Communications […]

Bypass connections are required for pneumatic components that are in continuous use applications, so that the flow of air is not interrupted when the component is maintained or taken out of service. Typically, shut-off valves are installed before and after the component and a piping loop with a shut-off valve routed around the component for […]

The Association of Independent Compressor Distributors met last month in San Antonio for its 33rdannual convention. We took the opportunity to catch up with the group’s Administrator, Kasey Gould, about her role in the organization and what the future holds for the AICD. Gould first became involved with the AICD through what she calls “pure happenstance.” […]

Contributed by Tim Faillo, Global Program Manager – Factory Automation, Parker Hannifin Modern factories have come to rely on industrial networks to make their sensors and actuators “smarter.” The use of smart sensors, such as Continuous Position Sensors (CPSs), offers a route toward realizing smart motion control in pneumatic systems. These intelligent devices offer more advanced, […]

A new motion control design tool for engineers from Parker Hannifin Corp. aims to help with the proper selection of electromechanical and pneumatic linear motion. Dubbed Virtual Engineer, the free online tool is an intuitive interface where users can easily enter their application specifications, (for example, speed, load, external forces) and then quickly navigate to […]

Quite often, the compressed air pipe connected to an air compressor is sized to the same diameter as the connection on the compressor outlet. But this can be a mistake because it may lead to excessive pressure loss that can affect the operational efficiency of the compressor. For example, one manufacturer, to save costs, puts […]

From IFPE to Hannover Fair to PackExpo Las Vegas, 2017 has been a busy year in the world of pneumatics! Here’s a look back at the most-read stories to appear on PneumaticTips.com during this past year … 5. Should I use a wet or dry storage receiver? Having both wet and dry receivers takes […]

At first blush, the industrial robotics market doesn’t appear to be a place for fluid power. Walk through an industrial trade show, and you’ll see a multitude of Delta, SCARA, Cartesian and other types of robots busy demonstrating their skills. And each of them is run by electric drives—certainly not hydraulics or pneumatics. But a […]

I had the chance yesterday to sit down with Mike Tuohey, Piab’s Sales and Marketing Communication Manager, in his office in Hingham, Mass. Tuohey’s name is one of the most familiar to me in all of fluid power—he’s been in the industry for 33 years now and has seen a lot of history. But the […]

By Ron Marshall A sawmill installed a VSD compressor in their compressed air system to save energy and provide better pressure control. The site had two 50-hp fixed speed compressors and a new 75-hp VSD controlled compressor. The system was supposed to be set up so that the VSD compressor would provide the variable flow […]